Ranger Rick
Member
My 1-1/2 year old setter is coming along nicely. I worked him on planted quail late summer. As he got staunch on point, I started shooting them for him. He retrieved enthusiastically. On to the season and wild birds. Grouse population is down and we've only nailed one. Woodcock are plentiful and we've been getting plenty. He's been mopping them up and this past weekend he put on a pointing clinic for my brothers.
At the beginning of the season he was retrieving with coaxing. Then he spit one out mid-retrieve. Picked up the next one that was very much alive and it proceeded to beat him about the face with it's wings. He dropped it and sat next to it, as if to say "WTF is that?". Next bird was flapping on the ground, he pounced and I heard a "crunch". Since then he's been pretty hard on the birds and even protective, not wanting to give them to me and not retrieving. This past weekend I think he would have eaten a couple of them if I hadn't intervened. Any advice?
At the beginning of the season he was retrieving with coaxing. Then he spit one out mid-retrieve. Picked up the next one that was very much alive and it proceeded to beat him about the face with it's wings. He dropped it and sat next to it, as if to say "WTF is that?". Next bird was flapping on the ground, he pounced and I heard a "crunch". Since then he's been pretty hard on the birds and even protective, not wanting to give them to me and not retrieving. This past weekend I think he would have eaten a couple of them if I hadn't intervened. Any advice?